According to Syrian government sources, the Syrian Army has resumed offensive operations in southern Idlib. That offensive is helping the government forces in liberating several villages. On 22 February 2020, the Ministry of Transport announced that Damascus-Aleppo international M5 highway was officially opened to traffic.
Meanwhile, several media reported on 23 February 2020 that the al-Qaeda affiliated “Wa Harid al-Muminin” militants had raided positions of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in northwest Hama. In another development in Adliya of southern Damascus, the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on positions of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Also it was reported in media that on 23 February 2020, a convoy of the Turkish Armed Forces in southern Idlib was blocked by a series of Russian airstrikes, and the convoy retreated.
Statistics provided by several media indicates that more than 400,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict broke out nearly nine years ago. More than half of the country’s population has been displaced in the war.